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Kennedy Biographies

Cristina Guidi has 18 years of experience in aerospace operations and technology development. She is currently serving as the program manager for Exploration Launch Systems in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. She is responsible for formulating the acquisition strategy for crew and cargo launch vehicles, as well as providing strategic direction and managing all day-to-day activities pertaining to the development of the future Launch Systems that will replace the current Space Shuttle and will be used in exploration missions.

In July 2002, Guidi was selected as the Spaceport Technology Development (formulation) program manager for a new initiative at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) called the Spaceport and Range Technology Program. In this capacity, Guidi assisted NASA KSC in developing its new mission area, Spaceport and Range Technology Development. In addition to this role, Guidi was also the NASA chair for the Advanced Spaceport Technologies Working Group. Under Guidi's guidance, this working group, with a membership of more than 150, is developing America's next-generation spaceport technology roadmaps. In addition, Guidi was KSC's central point of contact for all advanced planning for human exploration initiatives. In this capacity, Guidi also served as the KSC representative to an Agencywide team of scientists and professionals formulating future plans for technology development around NASA.

Guidi has worked for NASA since 1989 performing various functions within the Space Shuttle Program. Prior to her current assignment, she was the Lead Orbiter Project Engineer for the Space Shuttle Endeavour, OV-105. She was responsible for managing a team of NASA and contractor engineers in ensuring that all program requirements, verifications, and anomaly resolutions have been technically accomplished as well as providing technical expertise in the formulation of engineering policies and procedures required to support orbiter test and checkout operations. Guidi’s prior NASA assignments include External Tank/Solid Rocket Booster project engineer, Solid Rocket Booster Electrical Systems engineer, as well as working for the Shuttle processing contractor, Morton Thiokol, as a ground support equipment engineer.

In 1995, Guidi had the opportunity to serve as the management intern for the Shuttle Engineering Director for nine months, gaining insight into the technical management decisions performed by senior managers at KSC and throughout the Space Shuttle Program.

Guidi graduated from Florida International University in Miami, Fla., in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Space Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992. She is originally from Miami, but now lives in Orlando with her husband, John Guidi, who also works at KSC as the Space Shuttle launch manager.